Viluppuram

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Villupuram
Special Grade Municipality
Viluppuram Junction, District Court, Gingee Fort
Villupuram Villupuram, Tamil Nadu
Coordinates: 11°56′24″N 79°29′10″E / 11.940100°N 79.486100°E / 11.940100; 79.486100
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
Region	Tondai Nadu
District	Viluppuram
Established	1919
Government
• Type	Special Grade Municipality
• Body	Viluppuram City
• Chairman	Vacant
Area [2]
• Total	37.13 km2 (14.34 sq mi)
• Rank	13
Elevation	71 m (233 ft)
Population  (2011)[2]
• Total	171,131 [1]
Languages
• Official	Tamil
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	605601,605602,605401,605103,605301
Telephone code	+91–04146(STD Code)
Vehicle registration	TN–32,TN-16
Distance from Chennai	160 kilometres (99 mi)
Sex ratio	998 ♂/♀
Climate	Aw(Köppen)
Literacy	90.16%
Website	Viluppuram Municipality

Viluppuram, Villupuram, or Vizhuppuram^[3] (Tamil: [ʋiɻɯppɯɾam] ^ⓘ) is a municipality and the administrative headquarters of Viluppuram district.

Located 61 kilometres (38 mi) south west of a Tiruvannamalai and 40 kilometres (25 mi) north west of Cuddalore null The town serves as a major and largest railway junction, and National Highway 45 passes through it. Agriculture is a main source of income. As Government of India 2011 census data indicated, Viluppuram had a population of 1,71,131.^[4] and the town's literacy rate has been recorded as 90.16% by Census 2011.^[5]

In 1919, Villupuram was officially constituted as a Municipality which today comprises 42 wards, making it the largest City in Viluppuram district.^[6]

In 1677, Shivaji took Gingee area with the assistance of Golkonda forces. Later in 18th century, both the English and French acquired settlements in South Arcot. During the Anglo-French rivalry, the entire district was turned into a war land. After some time, the entire area came under the control of East India Company. It remained under British authority till 1947 when India became independent.^[7]

After independence, the district as we know it today, was part of the larger South Arcot District headquartered at Cuddalore . On 30 September 1993, Villupuram became the headquarters of the newly created Vizhuppuram District as a result of the division of the South Arcot District.^[8]

Vizhuppuram is located in 11° 56' N 79° 29' E.^[9] which is in the far southeast part of India, situated 160 kilometres (99 mi) south of Chennai, 160 kilometres (99 mi) north of Trichy, 177 kilometres (110 mi) east of Salem, 45 kilometres (28 mi) North west of Cuddalore, 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Pondicherry shares the seashore of the Bay of Bengal.^[10]

The area contains metamorphic rocks formed by pressure and heat belonging to the granite-like gneiss family. There are also three major groups of sedimentary rocks, layers of particles that settled in different geological periods.^[11] Kalrayan Hills^[12] forest park is located 116 kilometres (72 mi) to the west and Gingee Hills forest park 50 kilometres (31 mi) to the north. The Thatagiri Murugan Temple is about 191 kilometres (119 mi) to the southeast in Senthamangalam^[13] with the Lord Siva temple in Koppampatti 153 kilometres (95 mi) southwest of the town.^[10]

Since the town is landlocked, the weather in Viluppuram is generally humid and hot. It relies on the monsoon for rain from July to December. Summers are very hot, and temperatures can get up to 40 °C (104 °F). Winters are moderate with temperatures ranging between 30 and 35 °C (86 and 95 °F) Viluppuram has a tropical climate. In winter, there is much less rainfall in Viluppuram than in summer. This climate is considered to be Aw/As according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification.

The average annual temperature is 28.4 °C (83.1 °F) in Viluppuram with average annual rainfall of 1,046 millimetres (41.2 in). The driest month is March, with 6 millimetres (0.24 in) of rainfall. With an average of 222 millimetres (8.7 in) per annum, the most precipitation falls in October. The warmest month of the year is May, with an average temperature of 32.0 °C (89.6 °F). January has the lowest average temperature of the year at 24.6 °C (76.3 °F).

The difference in precipitation between the driest month and the wettest month is 216 millimetres (8.5 in). During the year, the average temperatures vary by 7.4 °C (45.3 °F).

As of the 2011 census^[update], Viluppuram municipality was divided into 44 wards for which elections are held every five years and had a population of 96,253 of which 47,670 were male and 48,583 female.^[16]

Politically, Viluppuram is part of the Vizhuppuram Lok Sabha constituency and the Villupuram State Assembly constituency. The municipality was established in 1919 and was upgraded to a second-grade municipality in 1953, the first-grade municipality in 1973, and a selection grade municipality in 1988,and Special grade Municipality in 2023. The town is divided into 42 wards. The city Papulation is 1,71,000. The municipal council is composed of 42 ward councilors and is headed by a chairperson elected by voters of the town. Councilors-elect a vice-chairperson among themselves while the executive wing is headed by a commissioner, who is assisted by a team of officials including the health officer, municipal engineer, town planning officer, manager, revenue officer and other staff.

Viluppuram is connected by roads to major cities and to the rest of the state. The major national highways of the town are:

• NH 38, which connects Vellore and Thoothukudi, via Tiruvannamalai - Viluppuram – Tiruchirapalli –Madurai – Aruppukottai.
• SH 07 connects Villupuram -- Tirukoilur
• SH 234 Villupuram - Mangalore, Via - Thiruvannamalai - Krishnagire , Hosur, Bengalaore.
• SH 04 Villupuram - Tirupati Via Gingee, Chetpet, Arani, Velore.
• NH 332, which connects Viluppuram and Pondicherry.
• NH 132, which Connects Villupuram and Tindivanam.
• NH NH 45A, which Connects Villupuram and Nagapattinam via Pondicherry - Cuddalore - Nagapattinam
• NH 36, which connects Vikravandi and Manamadurai via Panruti – Neyveli – Kumbakonam - Thanjavur - Pudukottai bypasses Villupuram at 5 km in Koliyanur. 

The Viluppuram Railway Junction at Villupuram serves as the distribution point of rail traffic from Chennai, the state capital of Tamil Nadu, towards the southern part of the state.^[20][21] Five railway lines branch out of Vizhuppuram:

• Fully Electrified Double BG (Broad Gauge) line (FEDL) towards Chennai Beach via Chengulpattu Junction.^[22][23]
• Fully Electrified Double BG (Broad Gauge) line (FEDL) towards Tiruchirapalli Junction via Vridhachalam Junction and Ariyalur. Also called "Chord Line" to Tiruchirapalli.^{[24][25][26][27]}
• Fully Electrified Single BG (Broad Gauge) line (FEDL) towards Tiruchirapalli Junction via Cuddalore Port Junction, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam and Thanjavur Junction. Also called Main Line.^[28][29]
• Fully Electrified Single BG (Broad Gauge) line towards Katpadi Junction via Tirukoilur Tiruvannamalai and Vellore Cantonment.^[30][31]
• Fully Electrified Single BG (Broad Gauge) line to Pondicherry.^[32][33][34]

The nearest airport is Pondicherry Airport^[35] at Pondicherry,^[36] in Puducherry, approximately 40 km from Viluppuram. Pondicherry Airport is connected to Bangalore by commercial airlines.

The nearest major airport is the Chennai International Airport (MAA), approximately 140 km from the town; the next closest major airport is Tiruchirapalli international Airport, approximately 170 km from the town.

• Viluppuram District Official Website

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